Dog-racing apparatus



April 22, 1930. w. R. TWIFORD ET AL 1,755,676

DOG RACING APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS BY George Oehler ATTORNEYS April 22, 1930. w, w o ET AL 7 1,755,676

DOG RACING APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3W5 45 64 z/9 g y .61

INVENII'ORS WITNESSES 17 wLRTwz o d r' George Oehler ,4? I BY ATTORNEYS s Patented Apr. 22, 1930 UNHTEDTY, STATES PATENT QFFICE WILLIAM nf rwrroannnnenonen OEHL R, or MIAM rnomnA noe-itAorNeArrARArUs lApp lication' filed March 26, 1927. Serial 110.178,?36.

Afurther object is toprovidea novel trap 10 into which the rabbit is caused to disappear.

A more specific object of the invention is to provlde a mechanical racing rabbit with overhead carrylng-means.

The-nature of ourlnvention and its "distinguishing features and advantages will clearly appear as the description proceeds.-

{Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forminga part of this'specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative -of one example of the invention. A I I V 1 Figure 1 1s a dlagrammatlc plan view of a race track equipped with our 1nvent1on.

given to show the trap." Figure 3 is a-perspective of the trap.

1 Figure 4 is a, plan view of the trap.

- Figure'5 is an enlarged transverse vertical section as'indicated by the line 5-5 in Fig- 7 ure 2.

Figure 6is aside elevation of the'tramway rope and suspended rabbit, with the position of the motor indicated.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view showing one of the pulley assemblages and rabbit hanger, the cables being in cross section,

Figure 8 is a side elevation of oneofthe' pulley assemblages employed at the curved ends of the track.

' Figure 9 is a plan view of the drive wheel and motor shaft. f a

In the drawings the numeral 10indicates a continuous race track, 11 the fence 'at the F inner side of the track and 111 the fence at the outer side. A'motorcable 12 travels on ,one' ofa pair of vertical pulleys 13, 14, disposed along the sidesof the track,and about horizontal pulleys 1'13, 114, at the curvedends of the track Above thepulleys 13and 14'is positioned a laterally disposed roller 17 to Figure 2 -is'a detail in sectional plan View,

preventthe cable from jumping from the pulleys, said roller turning on angle spindles 18. The numeral indicates a stud shaft on posts 16, rising from the fence 11. The numeral 115 represents the angle spindle for the horizontal pulleys 113,114, said spindle being on posts 116;

A tramway cable 19 rests on and frictional- 1y engages the pulleys 14, and passes about the pulleys 114. On said cable is a hanger 20 from "which a mechanical rabbit 21 is suspended by cords 0r wires 22, having interposed therein suspension springs 23. V On the motor shaft 25 of a motor 24 is a bevelpinion 26 meshing with a bevel pinion 27 turning in the motor frame 28, said frame having sheaves 29 about which thecable 12 runs, said cable having also a bend about the drive pulley 30 in fixed relation to the driven pinion 27 An opemng in the fence 11 is provided and a trap is arranged at said opening into which the traveling'rabbit may be caused to move.

The numerals.31,'131, representgate posts.

To the post 131 is secured a gate 32 by hinges 33 also secured to the post 131. A spring 33 at the inner side of, the gate 32'is fastened to post 131 and its free end is slidably engaged in a keeper 34. A latch 35is disposed at the outer side of the gate and is subject to a latch spring135. The latch 35 is pivoted between its ends to brackets 36, and its free end 235 is formed with a tooth engageable with a rack 37 on post 131. A trigger 39 in the trap gateis provided and extends through said gate, andlhas its short arm 40 outside of the gate. Said'trigger is. pivoted vertically as at 41 to the gate. When the gate 32 is swung open to the position shown J in'Figures 2, 3 and 4, it is disposed asa barrier inthe path oftravel of the rabbit-'21 when said rabbit travelsin thenormal path 5 Upon the rabbit encountering'the gate 32, constituting a barrier to the further progress of the rabbit, said rabbit is deflected laterallyinto the trap 43, which may be defined by an enclosure 42 indicated in'dot-ted lines in Figure 2. The trigger 39 when the gate 3215 open extends transversely of'the pathof t i'avel'of I into the plane of the gate posts 31, 131, so that therabbit thereby disappears. In the entering of the rabbit into the trap 43,;the wires and springs 23, constituting a flexible support, yield and permit ofthe rabbit moving laterally into the trap 43. V

In orderthat the rabbit may be caused to travel through more than one circuit of the track, we provide means to cause the rabbit to travel outside of the gate 32 without encountering said gate or. t'lietrigger 39. For the purpose indicated, those pulleys 213 and 214Iadjacent the gate post 31 are carried on a slidable rod 3%, movabletransversely in a sleeve 45 on a post- 216. The slidable rod 4:4 is pivoted to a verticallydisposed lever 46 fulcrumed between its ends as at 47 on brackets 48 011 post 216; To the lower end of saidlever-ti is attached a horizontal operating rod l-Qmovable in a sleeve '50 below the track surface, the operating rod 49 being piv ot'ally secured at its innerend to a lever 51-so that the'roclnng of the lever, w1ll move rod.

49 and thereby operate the lever 46and cause rodv 44 carrying the pulleys 213 and 21a to be moved laterally; fLbOVB the pulleys 213, 214i,

is a roller 21'? on an angle spindle218., rigid with rod 4A. By movingrod 14E '(seezFigiire 2.) outwardly toward the center of the: track 10, the pulleys 213 and 214: willmbe carried outwardly, 'thus rabbit 21 moves in a path away from the normal path and will clear the gate 32 and its appurtenances.

The horizontal pulleys 113 are positioned at the curved ends or the track 10 with sufiicient radius to occupypositions away from the inner fence 11, afiording a vision for the dogs at the ends of thetrack greater than would be the case if the cable 19 carrying the rabbit was caused to travel close to the fence 11.

In the trap 4-3 is disposed a pair of yieldable brake shoes tl'flaring at the end appreached by the rabbit 21 and converging to- 4 ward the oppositeend. At the backs oflthe [shoes a3 are 'bulier springs 4 1, the one'series of springs as abutting atone end against the shoes. and at the. opposite end against the fence 11, whereas the other series of springs 1 inthe arrangement shown abut atone end against adjacent 'sho'e143 and at the opposite end against a backing plate 45.

Itwill lie-obvious from the foregoing that 'the'gate 32 be. interposed as a barrier thepath of travel ofthe; rabbit 21 to cause the same to be deflected into the. trap 23', and

" thatthe'cable19 which the rabbit 21 i suspended from suspended may be deflected by a movement of the lever 51 away from the position of the gate 32 to clear the same to permit travel of the rabbit about the track the desired number of turns.

We would state furthermore that while the illustrated, example constitutes a practical embodiment of our invention, we do not limit ourselves strictly to the exact details herein illustrated, since, manifestly, the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

We claim a i p 1 1. An apparatus of the class described, ineluding an overhead carrying means, the combination of a race track, allure to attract dogs and suspended over saidytracln'froin said carrying means at one side of the track, together with movable means adapted to be interposed in the-path of travel ofthe lure to deflect the same laterally from the normal path of movement;

2. An apparatus of the class described, including the combination of a race track, a lure, overhead carrying means from which said hire is suspended over ,said track, and meansat one side of the track adapted to intercept the pathnof movement of the lure.

3. An apparatus "of the class described, including the combination of a race track, a lure, overhead carrying Ymeans from which said-lure is suspended over said track, means at one side of the track adapted to intercept the path of movement of the lure. the suspension means for the lure being flexible so that the second'mentioned means interposed in the path of movement of the lure will cause the same to move laterally inward and flex the suspension means. 7

4. An apparatus of the class described. including an overhead tramway cable, a lure said cable, movable means constituting a barrier and adapted to be disposed in' the path of travel of the lure-,and means to deflect said cable so that the lure will clear the barrier and pass the same without interception.

5; In an apparatus of the class described, including a track, an endless overhead motor cable extending about'the track, a tramway cable, sheaveson which the second cable may travel, means to drive the first cable, said cable, means to cause travel of the second cable by the first Cable, and a; lure supported by the second cable. r a 7. In an apparatus otthe class described having a track and about which a lure is adapted to travel, av trap for the lure, means 'to cause the lure to move laterally into the trap, and means to arrest the movement of the lure 11 the trap.

WILLIAM R. TWIFORD. GEORGE OEHLER. 

